Internal-combustion engine.



E. K. SHOULTZ.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, WW.

1,291,200 Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1. '10

AOISLE Patentefl M, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- YFLEW-EIU E .K. Shoulfz E. K. SHOULTZ.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 22, I917- 4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

[Ill 41111 INVENTOR Shoulfz ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

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INTERNAL-COMBUTIOW ENG.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EARL K. SHoUL'rz, a citizen of the United States, residin at Vincennes, in the county of Knox and tate of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 1nternal-Combustion Engines, of whichthe following is a being delivered to the explosion cylinder of the engine and wherein the piston employed for initially compressing the explosive mixture will be mounted 'to reciprocate with the main piston of the engine so that since the auxiliary compression piston will make four strokes to one power stroke of the main piston, a correspondingly increased volume of partially compressed fuel mixture will be delivered to the explosion cylinder for ignition at each power stroke of the main piston.

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And the invention has as a still further object to provide a construction wherein the auxiliary compression piston. Wlll be formed integral wlth the main piston of.

the engine and wherein an improved mounting will be provided for the said compression piston of such. construction that the heat from the main explosion cylinder will be held around the cylinder for the compression piston to consequently heat the fuel mixture as it is initially compressed.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds and in the drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views: ---]F1gure 1 is a side elevatlon of my 1mproved engine particularly showing the arrangement of the intake and exhaust manifolds,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows,

V Fig. l is a detail perspective view of the engine piston,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and particularly showing the mounting of the intake valve, and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view 'shoW ing the intake valve detached.

In carrying out the invention m improved engine is formed with a cran case 10 having suitable bearings arranged at opposite sides thereof for receiving the transversely disposed crank shaft 11. This shaft at one extremity carries a fly wheel .12 and formed on or otherwise secured to the crank case at the side thereof opposite the fly wheel is a gear housing 13. Arranged within this housing at opposite extremities thereof, are gear wheels i l and 15 respectively mounted upon cam shafts 16 and 17 arranged to project'through the said housing to extend transversely of the ends of the crank case 10 with the outer ends of the said shafts supported by bearings 18 connected with the crank case. Arranged upon the shaft 16 is a cam 19 while the shaft 17 is provided with a similar cam 20. Mounted within the housing 13 and arranged to mesh with the gear wheels 14 and 15 respectively are gear wheels 21 which in turn are arranged to mesh with a gear wheel 22 upon the crank shaft 11. Consequently, rotation of the crank shaft will, as will be readily understood, act to rotate the cam shafts 16 and 1-7.

Seated upon the crank case 10 is the base plate 23 of the cylinder block. This plate is, as particularly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, bolted or otherwise secured to the crank case and risin from. the said plate is an open-ended stan pipe 24- which forms, as shall presently appear, a guide member for the drive piston. Surrounding the guide member 24 and integrally formed therewith are spaced cylindrical walls 25 and 26 respectively defining a compression chamber 27 extending around the guide member 24 and a heat retaining chamber 28 extending around the said compression chamber. Closing the lower end of the cham- Patented dean. ltd, ildtltt.

Application filed May 22, 1917. Serial No. 170,2 l2.

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ber 27 is an annular wall 29 while a similar annular wall 30 is arranged to close the said chamber at its upper end and rising from .this latter wall above the guide member 24 is the main explosion cylinder 31 at the upper end of which is formed the explosion chamber 32. Extending around the explosion chamber 32 as well as around the upper extremity of the explosion'cylinder 31 is a water jacket 34 provided'with an inlet 35 and an outlet 36 and fitted through the said jacket at the top of the cylinder block 1s a suitable spark plug 37 projecting into the explosion chamber 32.

Arranged at one side of the compression chamber 27 is an intake manifold 38 while at the opposite side of the said compression chamber is a pure mixture manifold 39 communicating at its upper extremity with the explosion chamber 32. Leading from the said explosion chamber at one side thereof,

is an exhaust pipe 40. At its lower end the intake manifold 38 communicates with the lower end of the compression chamber 27 by a passage 41 while adjacent its upper extremity the said intake manifold communicates with the upper end of the compression chamber by a passage 42. Formed in the bottom wall 29 of the compression'chamher within the passa e 41 is a valve opening in which is arrange an intake Valve 43 the stem of which projects through the base plate 23 of the cylinder block and receives the sprin 44 hearing between the said base plate and t e stem for normally urging the valve to closed position. Formed in the top wall 30 of the compression chamber 27 within the passage 42 of theintake manifold is a valve opening in which is fitted a valve 45 the stem of which projects through the top wall of the said passage and receives the spring 46 bearing between the said passage wall .and the valve stem for normally'holding the valve closed. In this connection; it

will be observed that the valve 43 is movable I upwardly to open position while the valve 45 is movable downwardly to open position. The manifold 39 communicates at its lower extremity with the compression chamber 27 .50 by a passage 47 arranged diametrically op- 031) the passage 41 of the intake manifold. eading from the manifold 39 into the upper extremity of the compression chamber 27 1s a passage 48 arranged. diametrically opposite the passage 42 of the intake manifold. The bottom wall '29 of the compression chamber 27 is provided within the passage 47 With a valve opening and seating in the said opening is a valve 49 the stem 50 of which projects through the base plate 23 of the cylinder block and is received by a spring housing 51.- Fixed upon the said stem is a shoulder 52, and bearing between this shoulder and the spring housing is a spring 53 of the expansive type arranged to surround the lower extremity of the valve stem and normally urging the valve upwardly to closed position. Formed in the top Wall 30 of the compression chamber 27 within the passage 48 is a valve opening in which is seated a valve 54 having a step '55 projecting through the top wall of the said passage and received within a spring housing 56 upstanding from the said passage, this housing being identical with the 76 housing 51 of the valve 49. Arranged within the said housing is an expansion spring 57 bearing between the housing and a shoulder 58 upon the valve stem for normally urging the valve downwardly to closed position.

Mounted to reciprocate within the explosion cylinder 31 is a hollow drive piston 59 fitting snugly u onthe guide member 24 and formed on t e lower extremity of the said piston is an annular compression piston 60 fitting snugly within the compression chamber 27. As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the piston 27 is also preferably hollow. Encircling the upper extremity of the piston 59 are a plurality of packing rings 61. Similar packing rings 62 are also arranged around the outer circumference of the piston 60 while the inner circumference of the said piston is also equipped with like packin rings 63, the rings 62 96 contacting with t e cylinder wall 25 while the ring 63 contacts with the guide member 24. The piston 59 is equipped with a suitable wrist in 64 and extending between this pin and the crank shaft '11 is the connecting rod 65. Consequently, reciprocation of the piston 59 will rotate the crank shaft.

Extending laterally from the lower extremity of the engine block at the side thereof adjacent the intake manifold 38 is a 05 guide bracket 66 and slidably fitted through this bracket to coiiperate with the cam 20 upon the cam shaft 17 is a plunger 67. This plunger is equipped at its upper extremity with a longitudinally adjustable cap or socket 68 and engaging within the said socket is the lower end of a valve lift rod 69.' This rod is pivotally connected at its upper extremity to the outer end of a rock arm 70 pivotally supported upon the ex- 11.5 haust pipe 40. The inner end of this arm is arranged to cooperate with the stem 71 of an exhaust valve 72 fitting within a suitable valve opening establishing communication between the explosion chamber 32 and the exhaust pipe. The stem 71 of the said exhaust valve projects upwardly through the exhaust pipe 40 and at its upper extremity is equipped with a collar 73 between which and the said exhaust pipe is arranged a spring 74' normally urging the valve upwardly to closed position. Extending from the lower extremity of the cylinder block at a point opposite the guide bracket 66 is a similar gulde bracket 75.

inonaoo Slidably fitted through this guide bracket is a plunger 76 the lower end of which 1s arranged to coiipcrate with the cam l9 upon the cam shaft 16. The upper extremity of the plunger 76 is equipped with an adjustable socket 7*? similar to the socket 68 of the plunger 67 and engaging within the socket 77 is the lower end of a valve lift rod 78.

The upper extremity of the rod 78 is con-' manifold 39 and provided with alined openings 83 within the said manifold. Formed in the valve and adapted to register with the said openings is a valve opening 84. At its upper extremity the valve 81 is formed with an overhanging dangle 85- and bearing between this flange and t e top of the engine block is a spring 86 surrounding the said valve and normally urging the valve upwardly to closed position with the opening 84% therein arranged out of register with the openings 83 in the valve casing.

Having thus described the construction of my improved engine ll shall now proceed to explain the operation thereof. The firing of the engine as well as the movements of the intake valve 81 andthe exhaust valve 72 is to be timed as in the usual internal combustion engine of the, four-cycle type. Consequently, at every fourth stroke of the piston 59 the charge in the combustion chamber 32 wil be fired. Downward movement of the piston 59 and simultaneous downward movement of the compression piston 60 will cause a suction within the compression chamber 27 acting to unseat the intake valve l5 and draw in a charge of fuel mixture into the said chamber. In this connection it should be noted that the spring 74: of the exhaust valve is of sufficient strength to withstand the suction created by the reciprocation of the piston 59. The com pression piston 60 having reached the lowest point of its movement, thesaid piston will, upon again traveling upwardly, partially compress within the compression chamber 27 the charge of fuel mixture first drawn in and at thesame time draw in another charge of fuel mixture past the valve 43. As the piston 60 approaches the limit of its upward movement the valve 55 will be lifted to permit the escape of such partially compressed mixture charge into the manifold 39 through the passage 48. The piston 60 having reached the limit of its upward movement, the said piston wvill, upon again traveling downwardly, compress within the chamber 27, the second mixture charge drawn in and at the same time draw in a third charge of fuel mixture past the valve 45. As the piston 60 approaches the limit of its downward movement the second charge drawn in will be forced out past the valve 50 and through the passage 4L7 into the manifold 39. This operation will thus continue each time the piston 60 makes its stroke with the piston 59 and since'the incidental rotation ofthe crank shaft 11 will act to rotate the cam shaft 16, the intake valve 81 will be opened each time a charge of the partially compressed fuel mixture is ejected from the compression chamber 27 to permit the said charge to enter through. the combustion chamber 32 into the main cylinder. lin this connection, attention is particularly directed to the fact that since the piston 60 will travel its full stroke four times to one firing stroke of the main piston 59, four partially compressed mixture charges will be delivered into the cylinder.

31 before each firing of the engine. A. correspondingly increased volume of fuel mixture, as compared with the volume of the fuel mixture delivered to the combustion chamber. for the firing stroke of the conventional type of four-cycle engine, will thus be made available in the present construction and the motive power of the engine will accordingly also be increased proportionately. Rotation of the crank shaft 11 will, of course, act through the cam shaft 17 to properly actuate the exhaust valve 71 so that this valve will be unseated to permit the engine to exhaust at the proper time.

It will therefore be seen that provide a particularly efficient construction for the purposes set forth. However, if desire to emphasize the arrangement provided for retaining the heat from the main explosion cylinder around the chamber in which the fuel mixture is initially compressed. Heat from the walls of the cylinder 31 will, as will be obvious, be communicated to the walls 25 and 26 of the chamber 28. This chamber bein closed, the air therein will become heate and tend to maintain the said walls at an oven temperature for heating the fuel mixture as it is drawn into the compression chamber. This preparatory heating of the-fuel mixture as it is initially compressed will tend to enhance the explosive qualities thereof so that the said fuel mixture when compressed will be delivered to the main explosion chamber in a condition to obtain the maximum results therefrom.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An internal combustion engine including a guide cylinder, an explosion'cylinder arranged in axial alinement therewith, a hollow cylinder surrounding the guide cylinder and providing a compression chamher and a closed air jacket for retaining llllti heat around the said chamber, inlet and outlet valves controlling communication with the said chamber and between the chamber and the explosion cylinder, a drive piston mounted upon the guidecylinder to reciprocate within the explosion cylinder, and a compression piston mounted to reciprocate with the drive piston within the said chamber.

2. In engine construction, an explosion cylinder, a compression chamber, a closed air chamber for retaining heat around the compression chamber and having radial end walls, an intake passage opening into one end of the compression chamber opposite one end wall of said air chamber whereby fuel mixture flowing in through the said passage will encounter the said end wall of the air chamber to be initially broken up and heated thereby, a discharge passage leading from the compression chamber and adapted to communicate with the said explosion cylinder, inlet and outlet valves controlling the said passages, a drive piston copies of this patent inay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the 'mounted to reciprocate within the explosion cylinder, and a compression piston mounted to reciprocate within said compression chamber.

3. In engine construction, an explosion cylinder having a wall thereof radially olfset outwardly at the lower end of the said cylinder to provide an enlarged compression chamber and a closed air chamber for retaining heat around the said compression chamber, intake and discharge passa es formed on the offset in the said cylinder wall and opening into the said compression chamber at one end thereof, the outlet passage being adapted to communicate with the explosion cylinder, inlet and outlet valves controlling said passages, a drive piston mounted to reciprocate within the explosion cylinder, and a compression piston mounted to reciprocate within the said compression chamber.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EARL K. SHOULTZ. [1,. s.]

"commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G." 

